Again, Binani drags INEC to court over nullification of her alleged election victory

 

The Adamawa State governorship candidate during the March 18 gubernatorial election, Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as “Binani,” has, again, sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over the Commission’s nullification of her declaration as governor of the state.

Binani contested the Adamawa governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

NAN reports that Binani, through her counsel, Michael Aondoaka, SAN, filed a fresh suit before Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court, Abuja.

In the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/935/2023, she sued the INEC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively.

Binani is again asking the court for a judicial review of the decision by the electoral umpire to reverse her earlier declaration as winner of the poll by Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the Adamawa State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC.

While moving the motion on Monday, Aondoaka argued on behalf of Binani that it was the election petition tribunal that was vested with the power to decide the fate of his client in accordance with Section 149 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

He said the decision of INEC would deprive Binani of Section 285(6) which gives 180 days within which her petition filed before the tribunal on May 6 could be dispensed with.

The lawyer informed the court that although a similar suit was earlier filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo, the sister court ordered Binani to approach a tribunal for her suit, as it is an election-related matter.

He, therefore, sought a review of the INEC’s action.

He said an undertaking had been signed to prove to the court that the present suit was not frivolous and that they were ready to face any cost should the court find the case to be frivolous.

After listening to Andoaka, Justice Okorowo stood down the matter for ruling.